A New Look for Mansfield High Football in 2013

Every year, once the Mansfield High football team ends, webmaster Dave Redding posts next year's schedule right way with any available open dates.

Right now, only the games against the other teams in the Hockomock League Kelley-Rex Division and Davenport Division member Foxborough are on the schedule.

Opponents in November, besides Thankisgiving Day against Foxborough, will be determined by whether Hornets make the playoffs or don't under the new state football format.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association will be using a point-system next year.

Here's the breakdown:

-Own value 12 points for a win over a team in a higher division 10 points for a win over a team in the same division.

-Eight points for a win over a team in a lower division.

-Opponents value three points for every win an opponent that you have beaten has a point for every win an opponent that you lost to has. Ties are half the value (1.5/0.5).

-Final rating (Own Value + Opponents Value) / Number of games played.

-The value for a win versus any team outiside of the North or South sections will equal 10 pointis The value for an opponent’s open date will equal a point.

As the playoffis are starting in November, the Thanksgiving Day games will no impact of the league or making the postseason. For all but the teams playing in the state Super Bowls, Thanksgiving will be played after their season ends.

When the Hornets start the 2013 season, they will be in Division 2 East with Durfee, Taunton, Needham, Quincy, Barnistable, Braintree, Marshfield, Natick, Wellesley, King Philip and Duxbury. 

Against the new Division 2 South opponents this year,  Mansfield (8-5) lost to Needham in the regular season and defeated Duxbury in the playoffis. The Hornets lost to Reading in the Super Bowl and the Rockets will be in Division 2 East.

Teamis will be operating under a new point system to determine their playoff teams. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association will be meeting Sunday, Oct. 27, to determine the playoff seeds. If Hornets don't make the playoffs, the remaining games will be done by a scheduling chart.

The sectional playoffs will start Nov. 1-2, followed by sectional semifinals, Nov. 8-9, the sectional finals, Nov. 15-16 and the state semifinals, Nov. 22-23, followed by the Super Bowl Dec. 7 at Gillette Stadium.

Mansfield have Hockomock League games in Diviision 2 South scheduled with Taunton (Oct. 11) and King Philip (Oct. 18). If they win both of those games in 2013, they will get 20 points under the new format.

They will have one game againist a Diviision 1 opponent, at Attleboro, Oct. 4. A victory there will count for 12 pointis.

With five teams in the Hockomock League's Kelly-Rex Diviision, they will have two teams in the postseason if they qualify.

Milford will be joining the Hockomock League for football next year and playing in the Davenport Division.

Here's how the league break downs under the new format:

• Diviision 1 South - Attleboro and Franklin.
• Diviision 2 South - King Philip, Mansfield and Taunton.
• Diviision 3 Southwest - Milford, Oliver Ames and Stoughton.
• Diviision 4 South -Canton, Foxborough and Sharon.